Students hold protests

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33803, 27 March 1975, Page 3

Students hold protests

More than 1000 students met at the Univers sity of Canterbury 1 yesterday to protest e about Government decays in introducing a ’.standard tertiary burt sary. \ The meeting, which was ’ the largest protest held by 2 students at the university for r more than four years, did not, ’ however, reach any decision ’ on further action to be taken by tertiary students in Christchurch. There was only minimal 1 support for a call by some • students for a demonstration ? march to the Department of ' Education’s office four miles - away in the centre of Christ--1 church. 5 A petition calling on the Minister of Education (Mr - Amos) to implement immedi3 ate and substantial increases in boarding bursaries, tertiary ? student bursaries, and allowf ances for costly courses was r signed by more than 800 s students. Messages bf support for the - students were received from the New Zealand Teachers’ - College Association, students’ -I associations at the Christs'church Teachers’ College, the member of Parliament for t Rangiora (Mr T. K. Burke), i who is a member of the Labour Party caucus education t group, the Student Teachers’ a Association, the Association r of Teachers in Technical In- - stitutes and the Association - of University Teachers. Mr Dunne said the students were sick and tired of the • “bungling incompetence” - which the Government had shown regarding the standard s tertiary bursary. ? Mr D. J. Baird, an execu- . tive member of the Post

/Primary Teachers’ Association, said the country facet ’the danger of making tertiary education the privilege of the ; ] rich. He said all students were facing difficulties meeting the cost of living. The present bursary scheme discriminated against women students. Mr P. Piesse, representing i the Public Service Associa- ; tion, said that if society de- i ]manded skilled, trained • people, then it must pay the , bill. Students’ votes ] “You must make it perfectly clear fiat unless the , : Government comes across !with what you ask for then jit cannot expect your votes 1 at the next election,” Mr ' Piesse said. Mr G, Moore, representing the Christchurch Technical : Institute Students’ Association, said that all tertiary students without exception ' Ishould be given the standard bursary. The research officer for the ] New Zealand University Students’ Association (Mr P.l Franks) said that the means I test imposed by the Govern-] ment on the recent interim] | increases in some student (bursaries was an “inequitable ’trick.” i At a meeting yesterday the I j Lincoln College Students’ As-1 ! sociation expressed “dis- ■ appointment and anger” at the Government’s continued 1 inaction on the promised J standard tertiary bursary. The meeting unanimously ] supported a motion calling I (for extra assistance for stu- ] dents paying high costs for . field trips. ! Late yesterday it was aninounced by the N.Z.U.S.A. (that the Minister of Educa- ' tion (Mr Amos) had agreed

to meet representatives of th; Technical Institute Students Association, the N.Z.U.S.A. and the Student Teachers Association on April 8. ‘Ohl platitudes’ In Wellington, about 60( university, teachers’ college and polytechnic student; mounted a noisy demonstra tion outside Parliament Build ings at lunch-time. Three student representa tives talked to Mr Amos ir his office. Ms Sue Green, educatior vice-president of the N.Z. U.S.A., said later: “Wt covered the same old grount and heard the same old plati tudes.” The association would now approach the Prime Ministei (Mr Rowling) on the questior of bursaries, she said. In Auckland, 1000 univer sity, technical institute, am

iej teachers’ college students s’i walked from Auckland Unii. ! versity to the central Post s’ Office. The orderly and rela- j lively subdued students carried placards drawing attention to their financial hardship. ( Q More than 500 students made a “poverty” march ’ from Massey University to _ Palmerston North’s city / centre. About 100 university students and supporters marched ' through Hamilton. About 2000 students took part in an orderly protest march in Dunedin. ■ e id j. Patron.— The new Swedish Ambassador to New Zealand (Mr Sten Aminoff) w began his social duties on Jr I Tuesday night when he m accepted an invitation to become patron of the Sweden r- —New Zealand Association, id — (P.A.)